seventeen, eighteen
by marauderX
Summary: 18, Molly, 18. That's how many minutes you stayed there.


_1, 2, 3, 4, come on Molly, just a little more._

The girl chewed her food seventeen times before swallowing, wringing her hands seventeen times as she did so. Her eyes blinked seventeen times and she blinked seventeen times as she did this. She swallowed and then brought her cup up to her mouth once then brought it back down, twice then brought it back down, three times and brought it back down before she lifted it for the seventeenth time and took seventeen sips of water. She moved her peas from side to side on her plate seventeen times and speared seventeen of them with her fork. She brought her fork up to her mouth once then brought it back down, twice then brought it back down, three times then brought it back down before she lifted it for the seventeenth time and put the seventeen peas in her mouth. The girl chewed her food seventeen times before swallowing, wringing her hands seventeen times as she did so.

 _5, 6, 7, 8, come on Molly, don't be late._

The girl ran the brush through her hair seventeen times before picking up the hair elastic and twisting it seventeen times. She pulled her hair back seventeen times and then tied the elastic around the cluster of mousy brown locks once then took it out, twice then took it out, three times then took it out before she tied it the seventeenth time and left it there. She brushed each tooth seventeen times and ran the toothbrush over her tongue seventeen times before spitting seventeen times. She wiped the edges of her mouth seventeen times each and turned back to the mirror, picking up her brush for the eighth time and taking out the hair elastic. The girl ran the brush through her hair seventeen times before picking up the hair elastic and twisting it seventeen times.

 _9, 10, 11, 12, come on Molly, you're just unwell._

The girl twisted the doorknob seventeen times before opening it and walking through the doorway, closing the door behind her and turning the doorknob seventeen times more. She turned and walked the seventeen steps to her chair, sitting down once then standing back up again, sitting down twice then standing back up again, sitting down three times then standing back up again before sitting down for the seventeenth time and staying there. She smiled at Nurse Lupin seventeen times and traced the letters of the St. Mungo's pamphlet seventeen times each as she did so. She moved a pawn on the chess board forward two spaces once then brought it back, twice then brought it back, three times then brought it back before leaving it there on the seventeenth time. She got up and walked the seventeen steps to the door, twirling a lock of her hair seventeen times as she did so. The girl twisted the doorknob seventeen times before opening it and walking through the doorway, closing the door behind her and turning the doorknob seventeen times more.

 _13, 14, 15, 16, come on Molly, don't be such a machine._

The girl opened and closed her blinds seventeen times as she bit her lip seventeen times. She sat down on her bed once then stood up, twice then stood up, three times then stood up before sitting down for the seventeenth time. She opened her book to her last read page once then closed it, twice then closed it, three times then closed it before she closed it for the seventeenth time, letting it settle to her page. She read each sentence seventeen times over and flipped the next page over seventeen times before continuing. She read seventeen pages then closed the book once then opened it again, twice then opened it again, three times then opened it again before she closed it for the seventeenth time. She got up from her bed once then sat back down, twice then sat back down, three times then sat back down before getting up for the seventeenth time. The girl opened and closed her blinds seventeen times as she bit her lip seventeen times.

 _17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17, 17._

The girl touched the photo seventeen times as she let seventeen tears fall down her face. She tied the rope once then untied it, twice then untied it, three times then untied it before she tied it for the seventeenth time and kept it that way. She threw it over the rafter once then pulled it back, twice then pulled it back, three times then pulled it back before she threw it over for the seventeenth time and kept it that way. She grabbed a chair and pulled it over once then put it back, twice then put it back, three times then put it back before she pulled it over the seventeenth time and kept it that way. She stepped on the chair once then stepped back down, twice then stepped back down, three times then stepped back down before finally she stepped up the seventeenth time and kept it that way. She checked on the clock and adjusted the rope seventeen times. The girl touched the photo seventeen times as she let seventeen tears fall down her face.

 _18, Molly, 18. That's how many minutes you stayed there._

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 **A.N.: Hey guys, this is a gift for MissesWeasley123 for the Gift It Challenge hosted by ReeBee and randomwriter, partially inspired by Nadia's story waterfall. This does deal with a very controversial topic, although I just want to clarify that Molly's actions in the story do not reflect my opinion on mental illness. Suicide is not a solution, although the quote "suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem" does kind of reflect how I feel on the subject.**


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